Excellence in Baking

Dear Reader, Friend, and Fellow Sourdough Enthusiast,

I’m here to talk about excellence.

We don’t need the dictionary. We know what excellence means.

Excellence is that thing that we want in products we purchase, that thing that elevates what’s in our hand above what’s still on the shelf. Excellence is the best possible and the most lasting. As a maker, though excellence is something that can quickly turn tyrannical. What I mean is that when we focus too much on the result, we often won’t even begin in the first place. Last month, I wrote about keeping on, a reminder that we will learn and get better as we keep going, but we won’t find perfection every time, in every product.

There’s another side to this though. It’s the one where I want excellence when I buy a product, and when I find myself on the receiving end of products less-than-excellent, anger sets in. I get angry at the person who made it—surely they knew the product would not perform as expected—and I get angry at myself for falling prey to a sub-par product.

Do you feel that way in these situations?

In years past, I would try my hardest to follow up with the maker of a less-than-perfect product. Sometimes this is the right move, but other times we must ignore that instinct, choosing forgiveness first in the face of human mistakes, realizing that excellence often blooms in a place of grace.

Today, I am a vendor at a farmer’s market in High Point, NC, where I and every one of my fellow vendors creates things by hand. We are makers, growers, and caretakers. I have been met with the most gracious of customers. I also try to be clear about what I’m selling. If the bread doesn’t turn out how I want it to, I let people know. People don’t often care because they know that what is on my table is locally made sourdough bread, and that is the product they want, no matter what it looks like. They understand that a loaf may not be exactly the same every single time.

They understand that excellence and perfection are not the same thing, and I’m learning this lesson too.

I am not a perfect maker, but I want to make products that resonate goodness. I want to make foods that are excellent. Every time you buy a piece of my life, please know that I want you to communicate with me. If you loved the Cereal Loaf toasted with butter in the morning, please let me know. If you found it difficult to slice, let me know that too. Even if I can’t do anything about it, even if the discrepancy lies in personal opinion, I appreciate gracious conversation because whatever your experience, it helps me better my baking.

All critique with a grain of salt.

Thanks for everything.

-Sara

Photo by David Barajas on Unsplash